PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a welterweight MMA rules bout between Ian Girlea (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Babis Valyras (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). The atmosphere really building for this one as we go over to our ring announcer for the fighter introductions!

Girlea
vs
Valyras

176 cm
24
168 lbs
2 - 1 - 0

180 cm
18
170 lbs
2 - 7 - 0

BJJ Blue Belt
Basic striking
KO power

BJJ Blue Belt
Brawler
Solid chin

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the welterweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 2 - 1 - 0, fighting out of London, Ian Girlea!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 2 - 7 - 0, fighting out of St Petersburg, Babis Valyras!
The judges for this bout are Konstantin Menshow, Aleksandr Martynov and Aleksei Zolotukhin.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!

Girlea moves into range and clinches up with Valyras.
Valyras looks really tired already! That doesn't bode well for a good, competitive fight!

Girlea breaks the clinch and we return to the middle of the mat.

Girlea closes the distance and after a bit of a stuggle, scores a takedown into Valyras's guard.
Girlea won't allow Valyras to sweep him here.
Girlea is just sitting in guard, looking to avoid any submissions.
Valyras looking for a sweep. Not yet Valyras, not yet.
Valyras is trying to control the position from the bottom.
Girlea trying to pass the guard but can't manage it just yet.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Girlea landing some decent shots from guard.

Girlea gets to his feet and steps away from his opponent.

That's one minute gone in the round.

Girlea decides to change it up a bit and drives through with a nice takedown into half guard.
Valyras has hold of Girlea's hands but Girlea slips his arm to the side and lands an elbow.
Girlea is keeping good posture, landing some ground and pound.
Girlea definitely looks more muscular than last time we saw him fight.
Girlea lands with an elbow from half guard - that looked like it hurt.
Girlea is figuring out what he wants to do next.
Valyras is trying to get back to full guard.

Girlea stands up from half guard... He's had enough of that ground malarky for the time being.

That's two minutes gone in the round.

Girlea looks for a takedown. He's got it. We're now in half guard.
Girlea controlling the pace.
Girlea passes to side control.
Girlea in side control lands a decent elbow.
We've seen a great period of action over the last minute or so - credit to both fighters for going all out!
Girlea works a knee to the body and follows up with a nice elbow to the head.
Girlea controlling from side mount.
The ref warns both fighters not to hold the cage as they work up against the meshing.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Valyras is not in a great position here, taking some shots.
You can see the frustration on Valyras's face, being in this tough position on the bottom.
Girlea is staying tight to Valyras's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Girlea connects with a decent looking elbow from side control that caused Valyras some visible discomfort.
Valyras is trying to improve his position.
Girlea working the body and head with strikes.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Girlea trying to control the action but Valyras is working from the bottom.

Girlea decides to stand back up.
Girlea is trying hard to land a takedown here. Valyras sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Girlea throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Valyras.

Valyras tries to sprawl but Girlea drives through with a takedown into half guard.
Still in half guard, Girlea seems content to control.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Valyras missing with punches from the bottom.

Valyras looking to work for a kimura from the bottom.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ian Girlea dominated that round.
That's the end of the round. The referee orders the cornermen out of the cage so we can get back down to business.

Girlea connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.

Girlea looking for a takedown here - he's got it.
Girlea stopping the sweep attempt from Valyras.

Girlea stands up and waves to Valyras to follow him.

Girlea shoots in from a long way out. He's driving through with the takedown attempt and he eventually gets it, landing in Valyras's guard.
Both fighters are absolutely exhausted here.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Girlea stands up and waves to Valyras to follow him.

Girlea dives in and scores a takedown into Valyras's guard.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Girlea slips nicely into half guard.
Well, if Girlea is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Girlea is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.

Girlea is working for a kimura but Valyras is defending it quite comfortably.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The crowd are starting to boo a lack of action.
Girlea lands strikes from half guard.
Well, if Girlea is going to just lie there, perhaps we should talk about what we're having for dinner tonight… I'm having a ham and pineapple pizza… Yum. Can't wait.
Girlea looks towards his corner to check for any instructions. The corner give him nothing to work with, so he cracks Valyras with a short hammerfist. I guess that's as good as any advice he could get in this position.
Girlea stalling.
Girlea's ground tactics aren't going to win him many fans. Let's hope he's got fireworks for us if he gets back to his feet because he's not doing much on the ground.
Girlea has been looking to land a fair amount of strikes on the ground. He might be looking to soften his opponent up in order to work for a submission.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Valyras tries to get to full guard but Girlea has control of the leg.
Girlea is nestled in close to Valyras, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
Girlea content to control rather than advance.

Girlea is trying for a guillotine from the top but the pressure isn't in the right place so Valyras is just riding it out for now. Girlea eventually gives up the hold.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Well. There's a bit of a lull in the action here and the crowd are starting to get restless.
Girlea slows the pace down in half guard.
Girlea is nestled in close to Valyras, controlling him well. He's worked in a nice elbow to the side of the head as well, for good measure.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Ian Girlea dominated that second round.
OK. That's time! The bell goes and we're back to the action. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the final round!

Valyras shoots in for a takedown - he's clinched up with Girlea but Girlea pushes him off and we're back to square one.
Girlea throws a hard body shot but it just misses.
Ian Girlea is looking to throw some combinations by the looks of things.

Girlea shoots in for a takedown from distance. He catches Valyras napping and manages to drive through into side control!
Girlea is staying tight to Valyras's torso, preventing him from escaping.
Valyras is trying to improve his position.
Valyras takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.

Girlea stands up.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Girlea throws a head kick that connects with a bit of head and a bit of hand.
Both fighters are breathing heavily.
Girlea shoots in looking for a double leg takedown. Valyras defends it nicely.
Girlea scores with a head kick.

Girlea shoots in and bounces Valyras off the cage to secure the takedown into guard.
Valyras has a butterfly guard looking to sweep but Girlea has passed into side control.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
The referee tells the fighters to keep busy.
Valyras takes an elbow right on the bridge of the nose and winces in pain.
Ian Girlea overall seems to be getting the better of the ground position in the fight so far.
Girlea lands an elbow.

That's three minutes gone in the round.

Girlea stands up.
Girlea is trying hard to land a takedown here. Valyras sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.

Girlea gets a clinch.

Girlea drags the fight down to the ground.

Girlea is working actively off his back, looking to secure an arm or perhaps work for a triangle.
Girlea trying to keep a closed guard but Valyras is proving a slippery customer.
Girlea is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Valyras can do to turn this around?
Girlea throwing some rather feeble looking strikes off his back.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Girlea keeping full guard, as Valyras tries to pass.

Girlea escapes his hips to the side and looks to be working for an armbar. Valyras gives him a little smile and shakes his head. No chance.
A big thud reverberates around the arena there as Valyras accidentally thumps the mat. Hopefully he's not broken his hand.

Girlea has a loose triangle. He'll be looking to tighten that up but Valyras can see exactly what he's planning and manages to posture up and free himself.
The crowd thankful this round is nearly over.
Girlea avoiding any damage from the ground and pound.

And that's the end of the fight!
Ian Girlea showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Girlea has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Konstantin Menshow scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksandr Martynov scores the fight 30:27
Judge Aleksei Zolotukhin scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Ian Girlea!